Winder tending apparatus



July 30, 1963 W. B. CHAMBLEY WINDER TENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1962 July 30, 1963 w. B. CHAMBLEY WINDER TENDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1962 July 30, 1963 w, cHAMBLEY 3,099,410

WINDER TENDING APPARATUS Filed May 28, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 42 55 I. 7 f1 A J 1% 54 5o 1 .29 5 WH.L.\AM EZ ZS ZLEY wRQAAAAAAAW A T TOENEYS United states Patent 3,099,410 WINDER TENDING APPARATUS William B. Chambley, Fieldale, Va, assignor to Fieiderest Mills, Inc., Spray, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,198 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-35.5)

This invention relates to Winding machines for winding textile yarns into conical or cylindrical packages or cheeses and is particularly concerned with a novel and improved apparatus for tending that type of winding machine or spooler having straight rows of Winding units along either or both sides thereof and wherein each winding unit includes a spindle or skewer for supporting a bobbin thereon as yarn is being withdrawn therefrom and being wound onto a tube or yarn carrier in the forming of a cheese package.

Such machines are of quite extensive length and, although some winding machines, such as Barber-Coleman spoolers, are conventionally equipped with a spooler tending mechanism which automatically doffs substantially emptied bobbins and causes the spindles to pick up reserve bobbins trom corresponding bobbin pockets and also pieces up the yarn ends on the new bobbins with the ends of yarn extending from the cheese packages being wound, it is necessary that operators are constantly attending to the operation of such machines to replace any exhausted bobbins on the skewers or to insure that there is always a reserve bobbin in each pocket of a spooler whenever the replenishing of the bobbin on a skewer is to be eifected and to lso remove the filled or completed cheese packages from the winding heads of such machines.

Not only has the task of the operators hereto-fore been extremely arduous and tiring, but additional operators have been required in order to maintain a constant supply of bobbins in bins positioned in front of the bobbin storage pockets or skewers of such machines. it has also been necessary for the operators to move a small truck along the row of bins and skewers to receive filled cheeses as they were doifed from the winding heads. At one end or the other of the spooler or winding, a trident table or larger truck has been positioned, onto which the filled cheeses have been positioned whenever the operator has reached either end of the machine.

Not only have all of the operations involved been time-consuming and required several operators for operating upon either side of the machine or spooler, but the attendant trucks, tables and storage bins have also taken up valuable floor space which could be used for other purposes and have therefore required that adjacent winding machines be spaced a substantial distance apart from each other or from adjacent machinery or equipment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus for use with spoolers and other winding machines of the character described and which will greatly reduce the number of manual operations required in order to maintain operation of the spooler, materially reduce the number of trucks and other related devices required to sustain operation of the spoolers, and thereby increase the production of the spoolers while reducing the amount of attendant space required therefor.

It is another object of this invention to provide an elongate winding machine or spooler of the character described with a storage hopper positioned at either end of the row of winding units on one side of the machine, and being adapted to contain filled bobbins or the like to be placed on the winding machine, with a track ex tending longitudinally of the winding machine and alonginc side the aforementioned storage hopper. A carriage is mounted on said track and movable alongside said winding machine and storage hopper with a carriage hopper being mounted on said carriage and adapted to contain a supply of textile bobbins. The carriage hopper has an upwardly biased movable false bottom or platform therein for maintaining the textile bobbins therein at a convenient level for removal from the hopper, with means operatively connected to the false bottom and extending exteriorly of said carriage hopper for moving the false bottom thereof to the lowermost position, to facilitate refilling the carriage hopper with bobbins, and means are provided alongside of said track and are engageable with the means operatively connected to the false bottom for lowering the same when the carriage is positioned alongside the storage hopper, whereby the false bottom of the carriage hopper is maintained in lowered position during the refilling of the carriage hopper.

It is still another object of this invention to provide, in combination with apparatus of the character described an inclined conveyor chute spaced outwardly of and extending in substantially parallel relation to and throughout the length of the corresponding row of spindles, skewers and/or pockets at either side of the spooler or winding machine, the latter chute being elevated sufiiciently above the floor of the room in which the spooler is positioned for receiving the filled cheeses which the operator removes from the winding units and conveying the filled cheeses, by gravity, to a suitable truck positioned adjacent the lower end of the inclined chute. Further, the inclined chute is provided with a shelf for supporting starters, thus eliminating the necessity of pro viding special trucks adjacent the row of spindles and eliminating the necessity of having fixed bins positioned adjacent the spindles.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic top plan view of an automatic spooler or typical winding machine showing the apparatus of the present invention arranged for tending the winding units on each side of the winding machine;

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat schematic elevation of the structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view through the winding machine and showing the improved apparatus at each side of the machine as though looking substantially along line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section-a1 view taken substantially along line 44 in FIGURE 1, showing, in cross-section, the lower portion of one of the full bobbin storage hoppers, the associated conveyor means and showing the associated carriage positioned adjacent the storage hopper in cross-section;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the present apparatus is shown in combination with a textile winding machine 10 supported on a floor F. This apparatus may be adapted to many different types of winding machines and is shown, for purposes of description only, in association with a so-called spooler of the type generally known as a Barber-Coleman spooler and such as is disclosed in US. Patents Nos. 1,267,977; 1,622,607; 1,686,- 102; 2,053,296; 2,210,498; 2,245,360; 2,363,988; 2,449,- 788; 2,550,448; and 2,96 l, l78, for example.

The winding machine 10 includes two rows of winding units on opposite sides thereof and which comprises two 3 rows of inclined pockets, the pockets of one row being indicated at 11 and the pockets of the other row, at the opposite side of the machine, being indicated at 11' (FIG- URE 3). A spindle or other bobbin support is associated with each pocket 11, 11, the spindles being non-rotating in this instance and being respectively designated at 12, 12. Such non-rotating spindles are generally known as skewers. It is apparent that a row of the spindles 12, 12 corresponds to each row 11, 11 of pockets at opposite sides of the machine. The structure of the spindles 12, 12', and the manner in which they are operated, are fully disclosed in said Patents Nos. 1,686,102; 2,245,360; 2,550,448; and 2,961,178 and, therefore, a detailed de scription thereof is deemed unnecessary. It might be stated, however, that each spindle 12, 12 moves in a somewhat rotary path at its upper end and, in so doing, an empty bobbin thereon is dislodged therefrom and drops onto a continuously moving conveyor belt 13, there being one of the conveyors or conveyor belt-s 13 at each side of the machine (FIGURE 3). Also, in the course of such rotary movement of the upper end of each spindle 12, 12, it moves into engagement with a reserve bobbin positioned in the corresponding pocket 11, 11. In FIG- URE 3, a filled bobbin is shown positioned on each spindle 12, 12, the bobbins being respectively designated at B, B.

Yarns Y, Y pass upwardly from the respective bobbins B, B (FIGURE 3) over continuously rotating cylinders or drums 15, 15 at opposite sides of the machine, and thence to suitable cones or tubes to form cheeses or cheese packages 16, 16'. The cheese packages 16, 16' are normally supported, during the winding operation, on substantially horizontal pivoted support arms 20, 20. Upon being filled the cheese packages are automatically swung outwardly away from the center of the machine and out of engagement with the corresponding drum 15, preparatory for the operator to remove the same from the corresponding pivoted arm 2! or as the case may be.

As heretofore stated, it is necessary that the pockets 11, 11' are continuously supplied with reserve bobbins or, in the case of winding machines which are not equipped with such pockets, it is necessary that any empty bobbins on the skewers are promptly replaced with filled bobbins, so as to minimize interruptions in the winding of cheese packages 16, 16. Heretofore, this has required that many trucks of filled bobbins be kept in re serve near the winding machines and that other attendants or operators frequently pass along each side of each winding machine and fill bins, positioned outwardly of and below the level of the skewers 12, 12 or rows of pockets 11, 11, with filled bobbins so that one or more operators at each side of the machine could pick bobbins out of the bins and place them on the skewers or in the pockets 11, 11 while piecing up any broken ends between the bobbins and the packages and also while removing any completed cheese packages, placing them in trucks and substituting cheese starters or empty yarn carriers for those which had been previously removed from the pivoted arms 20-, 20'.

In order to facilitate faster, more efiicient production of filled cheeses on the automatic winder 10 to facilitate reducing the number of operators, reducing the work load on the operators and reducing the number of trucks and other conveyances, I have provided a novel and improved apparatus adapted to be associated with each side of the winding machine; i.e., with each row of winding units of the winding machine 10 and which will now be described. Since many winding machines have winding units on one side only thereof and the parts of the present apparatus associated with each side of winding machine 10 may 'be identical, the same reference characters shall apply and only one of the apparatuses will be described, in order .to avoid repetitive description.

Generally, the improved apparatus of the present invention comprises a main full bobbin storage hopper 25 positioned adjacent one end of winding machine 10* and adjacent which the corresponding end of a track 26 is positioned, said track being suitably secured to the floor F and extending longitudinally of and outwardly of one of the rows of pockets 11. Track 26 serves as a guide for a movable carriage 27 which is preferably self-proelled and has a carriage hopper 30 thereon for receiving full bobbins from the bobbin storage hopper 25 and from which the bobbins are removed by the operator at the corresponding side of winding machine 10. In this instance, carriage 27 is of a type particularly devised so that the operator may ride thereon so as to minimize fatigue of the opera-tor and thereby facilitate increasing production without necessarily requiring more work of the operator.

An elongate, inclined chute broadly designated at 31 is spaced outwardly of each track 26 and extends parallel to, but above the level of, the corresponding row of pockets 11, this chute being particularly devised for receiving fiiled cheese packages 16 therein as they are removed from the corresponding side of the winding machine 10 and so that such packages may roll along the chute 31, by gravity, and pass into a suitable full cheese collecting cart or hand-truck generally designated at 32. The various parts of the apparatus will now be described more in detail.

Bobbin Storage Hopper Each bobbin storage hopper 25 comprises a frame 38 which supports an upright substantially rectangular, opentopped, tubular housing 35 adjacent which a suitable elevator frame 36 is positioned. Elevator frame 36 has an open-frame elevator 37 mounted for vertical movement therein. Elevator 37 is raised and lowered by any suitable means and may operate on the same principle as conventional electric garage door structure in well-known residential and commercial use. Elevator 37 is adapted to receive, one at a time, suitable containers or trucks 40, only one of which is shown in the left hand portion of FIGURE 2 and which is tilted so that its normal upper end faces downwardly when the elevator 37 is in fully raised position. In so doing, bobbins in the elevator are emptied into the open upper end of hopper housing 35 and fall onto an endless conveyor 42 (FIGURE 4) which forms the bottom wall of the hopper housing 35.

In this instance, that side of the hopper housing 35 adjacent track 26 is provided with an inclined door 43 which may be hinged or pivoted at its upper end so as to be swung upwardly away from the conveyor 42 by an operator when the operator desires to transfer a supply of bobbins from the full bobbin storage hopper 25 into the carriage hopper 30. Conveyor 42 is positioned closely above the level of the carriage hopper 30. The endless conveyor 42 is normally stationary and is mounted on a pair of rollers 45, 46 which are suitably journaled in the frame 38 of the storage hopper 25.

The endless conveyor 42 is driven only at such time as the operator desires to transfer full bobbins from the bobbin storage hopper 25 into the carriage hopper 30. Accordingly, conveyor 25 may be driven by a gear reduction electric motor 47 controlled by a manually operable electrical switch 56 conveniently positioned adjacent track 26. In this instance, it will be observed in FIGURE 4 that switch 50 is positioned on one of the upright frame members 51 of the frame 38 of bobbin storage hopper 25 and is electrically connected to the motor 47 through an electric cable 50a.

The frame 38 of the bobbin storage hopper 25 also includes a substantially horizontal frame member 52 which supports electric motor 47 and which also projects forwardly to a point adjacent to and spaced substantially above track 26 and has a track-like cam 53 fixed thereon, which cam constitutes a very important element of the present invention. C-am 53 is shown in the form of an angle bar and includes an inclined elongate portion 54 and a lower substantially horizontal, elongate portion 55. For purposes of description, each main hopper 25 may be conisdered as though it is positioned forwardly of the corresponding row of pockets 11, 11. Accordingly, it will be noted that the inclined elongate portion 54 of cam 53 extends upwardly and rearwardly and generally toward the winding machine 10. The rear end of portion 54 of cam 53 terminates on a substantially higher level than the substantially horizontal portion 55 thereof. The cam 53 is provided for automatically lowering a false bottom or yieldable floating platform 80 in the carriage hopper 30, to be presently described, whenever the corresponding carriage 30 moves into position adjacent the discharge end of conveyor 42 of the storage hopper 25.

Carriage Carriage 27 is a form of self-propelled reversible wheeled truck having inner and outer wheels 60, 61 fixed on axles 62 journaled in the lower portions of opposed side panels or frame members 63, 64 of the carriage 27. Carriage 27 includes a suitable platform or deck 66 upon which the operator may stand and which may have suitable low-speed and high-speed switch treadles or pedals 67, 68 movably mounted therein for engagement by a foot of the operator for operating a two-speed reversible, electric motor 71 suitably coupled to the front pair of Wheels 60, 61. In this instance, motor 71 is coupled to the front shaft 62 through a suitable manually operable gear transmission 71a (FIGURE 2) which is controlled by a hand lever 71b to determine direction of rotation of the output of transmission 71a. Endless pliable elements or belts 71c, 71d serve to couple motor 71 to the input of transmission 71a and to couple the output of transmission 71a to the shaft 62 on which the front wheels 60, 61 are mounted.

It will be noted that track 26 comprises a pair of closely spaced, parallel rails or angles bars 75, 76 between which the innermost pair of wheels 60, adjacent the winding machine 10, are positioned so that, throughout the movement of the carriage 27 from either end of the machine 10 to the other, and to or from a position adjacent the bobbin storage hopper 25, the carriage 27 is maintained in substantial uniform spaced relationship to the pockets of the machine and to the discharge end of conveyor 42 (FIGURES 1, 3 and 4).

As heretofore stated, carriage 27 includes a carriage hopper 30. The carriage hopper is of open-topped construction and includes an inner side wall a, an outer side wall b, opposed end side walls c, d (FIGURE 5) and a floating platform or false bottom 80 which loosely fits within the confines of the Walls a-d and which is normally yieldably urged to a raised position closely adjacent the upper edges of the wall ad by a yieldable or spring-loaded cross-arm elevating mechanism (FIGURES 4 and 5) which may be of the general type disclosed in US. Patents Nos. 2,449,892; 2,850,203; 2,869,568; and 2,889,956, for example.

In this instance, it will be observed in FIGURES 4 and 5 that the vertically movable platform 80 is yieldably supported by two pairs of cross-arms 81-84 positioned adjacent to and below each longitudinal side edge portion of platform 80. The two pairs of cross-arms adjacent one longitudinal side edge only of the platform 80 are shown in FIGURE 5, it being understood that similar sets of cross-arms are disposed at the oposite side of the platform as shown in FIGURE 4.

The proximal upper ends of cross-arms 82, 84 are pivotally connected to a common rod 36 carried by and extending crosswise of platform 80. The proximal lower ends :of cross-arms 8'1, 83 are pivotally connected to a common transverse rod 87 extending crosswise of and being suitably secured to the bottom portion of the carriage hopper 3G, which bottom portion is formed by an offset bottom wall portion 1 (FIGURE 4) adjacent that portion of the carriage 27 which moves closely adjacent the corresponding row of pockets 11. The bottom portion of the carriage hopper 30 is also defined by an angle bar g suitably secured to the outer side wall I) of carriage hopper 30".

As best illustrated in FIGURE 3, the inner Wall 63 defining the lower portion of carriage 27 is offset, adjacent the pockets 11 of machine 10, relative to the wall a of carriage hopper 30 so the lower portion of carriage 27 may clear the usual suction tube T associated With the yarn end clearer system of the Barber-Coleman type of spooler. It should be noted that one of the tubes T extends substantially throughout the length of the winding machine 10, adjacent the floor F, at each side thereof.

Referring again to the supporting means for platform 84 it will be observed in FIGURE 5 that medial portions of the cross-arms 8:1, 82 adjacent both side edges of platform are pivotally interconnected by a common transverse shaft 90, a similar transverse shaft 91 being provided for pivotally interconnecting the pairs of cross arms 83, 8'4 at the medial portions thereof. The crossarms 81-84 also each have a pair of rods extending therefrom and being connected to the corresponding arm at the other side of the hopper 30. Corresponding ends of torsion springs 93 are positioned in engagement with the latter rods 92.

Several turns of the torsion springs 93 extend about the rods 90, 91 and it is therefore apparent, by referring to FIGURE 5, that the oppositely biased ends of the springs 93 acting against the corresponding rods 92 normally urge the cross-arms 81-84 to the spread-apart or open position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 5. It will be noted that the distal ends of the cross-arms 81-84 each have a roller 95 journaled thereon, the upper rollers 95 being adapted to engage the lower surface of the false bottom 80, and the lower rollers 95 being adapted to ride against the corresponding portions 1, g of the bottom of the carriage hopper 30.

It is apparent that the springs 93 are of such size as to maintain the platform 80 in the broken line or raised position shown in FIGURE 5 when a relatively few or a single layer of filled bobbins is positioned thereupon and, as the number of bobbins in the hopper is increased, the weight of the bobbins overcomes the pressure of the springs 93 sufficiently so that the uppermost bobbins in the carriage hopper 30 are positioned substantially at the same level as the upper edges of the side walls a-d of the carriage hopper 30. Thus, as long as there are any filled bobbins in the carriage hopper 30, such bobbins are at a convenient level for the operator to pick the same off of the platform 80 for positioning the same in corresponding pockets 11 of the winding machine or spooler 10.

Now, in order to insure that a fresh supply of bobbins may be readily positioned in the carriage hopper 30 each time the latter hopper is emptied, without permitting the bobbins to pass over the upper edges of the walls a-d of the carriage hopper 30 during the filling of the carriage hopper, means are provided for moving the floating false bottom 80 to the lowered or solid line position shown in FIGURE 5 each time the carriage 27' occupies or moves to a position adjacent the full bobbin storage hopper 25, as will now be described.

In order to automatically lower the upwardly biased movable bottom 80 to the solid line position of FIGURE 5, for example, each time carriage 27 approaches the full storage hopper bobbin 25, it will be observed in FIG- URES 4 and 5 that the lower surfaces of the portions 54, 55 of cam 53 are adapted to be successively engaged by a follower on the free end of a follower arm or crank arm 101. Follower arm 2101 is positioned exteriorly of the inner Wall a of carriage hopper 30 so as to be movable closely adjacent the winding machine 10 and the storage hopper 25.

Follower arm 101 extends rearwardly from follower 100 and is fixed on a transverse shaft 102 suitably journaled, as by bearings 10 3, on the rear wall c of carriage hopper 30. Only one of the bearings 103 is shown in FIGURE 5. The medial portion of shaft 102 has the rear end of an elongate crank arm 104 fixed thereon, to the free end of which one end of a pliable link or cable 105 is pivotally connected. Cable 105 extends upwardly and is pivotally connected to a medial portion of the transverse shaft 86 carried by the medial port-ion of the floating platform 80.

It is thus seen that, when the supply of bobbins in the carriage hopper 30 has been completely or substantially exhausted and as the carriage or truck 27 moves forwardly, fnom left to right in FIGURES l and 2 and approaches the bobbin storage hopper 25, cam follower 100 engages the lower surface of the inclined portion 54 of cam 53, since the platform or false bottom 30 will then occupy substantially fully raised position under the influence of springs 93 (FIGURE As the cam follower 100 moves downwardly along inclined portion 54 of cam 53, follower arm will move downwardly at its front end, thus imparting clockwise movement to shaft 102 and crank 104 and causing cable 105 to move downwardly and thereby pull downwardly the floating platform 80 until the follower 1G0 moves into engagement with the substantial horizontal portion 55 of cam 53. At this time, platform 80 will occupy its lowermost or substantially lowermost position as shown in solid lines in FIGURES 4 and 5.

The operator then closes the switch 50 to energize conveyor motor 47 as the door 43 is opened and, thus, filled bobbins then resting upon the upper reach of conveyor 42 advance from left to right in FIGURE 4 and fall into the open upper end of the carriage hopper 30. When the carriage hopper 39 is filled or substantially filled with full bobbins, switch 541 is closed to stop further movement of conveyor 42, door 43 is closed and the operaltor may then reverse the gearing in housing 71a, by means of shifting lever 71111 and may then step on the high speed pedal 68 to energize the electric motor 71 and cause the carriage 27 to move rearwardly or from right to left in FIGURES 1 and 2 at a relatively high speed.

The front and rear lower portions of the carriage 27 are preferably provided with suitable brushes 110, 111 to prevent waste, lint, broken yarns and other waste material from accumulating to any :great extent in the path of travel of carriage 27, thereby insuring that the carriage 27 [may have freedom of movement and that the corresponding wheels 60, 61 will also remain in engagement with the track 26 defined by the angle bars 75.

Electrical energy may be directed to the electric motor 71 through the switch controlled by the slow-speed and high-speed switch pedals 67, 68 by any suitable means. In this instance, it will be noted that carriage 27 has a hollow post or pipe 115 projecting upwardly therefrom (FIGURES 2 and 3) through which an electrical cable 117 extends in its course through the switches associated with pedals 67, 68 and through electric motor 71. The upper portion of cable 117 is connected to a suitable reel mechanism generally designated at 120 and which may be of conventional or any other construction and a detailed description of which is thus deemed unnecessary. A cable 121 extends from the reel mechanism to a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown, and since cable 121 may be a portion of or suitably connected to cable 117, it is apparent that the reel perunits cable 117 to be payed out and to move in opposite directions along with the carriage 27, thus serving to deliver electrical energy to the carriage 27.

It will also be noted that a pair of elongate cam tracks 125, 126 are positioned on the floor F adjacent opposite ends of track 26-. The cam tracks 125, 126 are adapted to be engaged by respective safety or knock-0E switches 127, 128 suitably secured to front and rear portions of the carriage 27. Switches 127, 128 are interposed in the electrical circuits to the motor 71 'and serve to stop the flow of current to the motor 71 whenever they engage the respective cams 1'25, 126 at the end of respective rearward and forward strokes of carriage 27. It is apparent that the switches associated with pedals '67, 68' may be so arranged in the circuit with switches 127 and 128 that, although the latter switches may stop the fiow of current to motor 71 at the end of each stroke of carriage 27, upon either of the switch pedals 67 or 63 subsequently being depressed, or being released and again depressed, by the operator, the flow of current to electric motor 71 may then be resumed. Since there are various ways in which the electrical circuit for motor 71 may be arranged, a further illustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It will be noted that the upper edges of the walls a-d of the carriage hopper 30 are disposed on a level slightly above the level of the pockets 11 and the spindles or bobbin supports 12 so that, as carriage 27 is moved in either direction past the corresponding row of pockets 1'1 and spindles 12, the operator, standing upon the platform 66, can readily select bobbins from the carriage hopper 30 and deposit them, in the pockets 11 or on any spindles which may not have a bobbin positioned thereon. Of course, since platform 86' is yieldably supported, it moves upwardly as the supply of bobbins thereon diminishes so that the bobbins are always maintained at a convenient level adjacent the upper edges of the side walls a, b of the carriage hopper 30 so as to be readily positioned in the pockets 11 and/or on any empty spindles 12.

It is apparent that, when carriage 27 is moving in a rearward direction; i.e., from right to left in FIGURE 22, when it has reached the end of such movement and the operator wishes to cause the carriage 27 to move in the opposite direction, the operator merely moves the shifting lever 71b (FIGURE 2) in the desired direction and then depresses the desired pedal 67 or 68 to effect forward movement to the carriage 27. When the supply of bobbins has been substantially or completely exhausted from the carriage hopper 30, the operator may then depress the high-speed pedal 68 to thereby cause the carriage to move from right to left at high speed to return to the full bob-bin storage hopper 25 so as to replenish the supply of bobbins therein in the manner heretofore described.

Also, in some instances, the operator may find it desirable to start the operation of replenishing the supply of bobbins in the pockets 11 while moving from the left-hand end of the row of pockets 11 in FIGURE 1 toward the right. Accordingly, the high-speed pedal 68 may be depressed upon the supply of bobbins being restored in the carriage hopper 30 and the carriage will thus be moved at relatively high speed to the extreme left-hand end of the row of pockets 11 whereupon the filling of the pockets may be commenced while the carriage moves from left to right with the slow-speed pedal 67 then being depressed.

As heretofore stated, during the refilling of the pockets 1 1 with reserve filled bobbins, it is also necessary to remove filled cheese packages 16 from the arms 20 and to place empty tubes thereon or so-called starters to start the winding of another cheese package. Accordingly, as each filled cheese package 16 is removed from the winding machine, it will 'be noted that the inclined conveyor chute 31 is conveniently located Within the reach of the operator riding on the platform 66 of the carriage and is spaced outwardly away from the corresponding row of pockets 11 so as to not encumber the operation of the winding machine 10*. It will be noted that the inclined chute 31 comprises an inclined bottom having upwardly projecting side wall portions or flanges 136, 137 on opposite sides thereof, which flanges are preferably provided with rounded, inwardly projecting portions 140 on the proximal upper edges thereof so as to avoid damaging the cheese packages 16 as they move, by gravity, along the bottom 135 of the chute 31. It should be noted that the side walls 136-, 137 are spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the width of each package 16 so as to prevent the packages from turning sideways in the chute and otherwise clogging the same.

It will be observed in FIGURE 3 that the outer wall 137 of chute 31, with respect to the winding machine 10, extends downwardly beyond the chute bottom wall 135 and has a shelf 141 integral therewith or suitably secured thereto. Shelf 141 is spaced below the chute bottom wall 135 a suflicient distance to accommodate the thickness of a cheese package 16 so that the starters may be placed on the shelf 141. As heretofore stated, the starters generally include a tube having a relatively few turns of yarn wound thereon.

The shelf 141 also serves as a support for the chute 31 in that it is attached to the upper end of a plurality of posts 142, which posts 142 are preferably vertically, extensibly, adjustable so that the angle of inclination of the chute 31 may be predetermined to avoid having the cheeses move therealong at excessive speed. Not only is the chute 31 positioned at a convenient level for the operator to readily position filled cheese packages 16 therein and to store starters on the shelf 141 thereof, but the discharge lower end of the bottom wall 135 of the chute 31 is positioned at a convenient level so that the cheese packages 16 which move along the chute 31 by gravity, will fall into the conventional hand-truck 32 (FIGURES 1 and 2). Hand truck 32 may be of any desired construction and, therefore, will not be described in detail. Thus, as the filled cheese packages 16 fall into the truck and the truck becomes filled with cheese packages, an empty truck may replace the original truck 32 and the original truck 32 may then be directed to other operations such as -a dyeing operation or to the creel of a warper, for example.

It is thus seen that I have provided novel apparatus greatly facilitating the tending of winding machines or spoolers by an operator, which not only minimizes the fatigue of the operator, but also increases the production capability of the operator and the machine and wherein, upon the supply of bobbins being exhausted or substantially exhausted from the carriage hopper 30, the platform 80 is automatically moved to a lowered position as the carriage 27 is moved into position adjacent the main bobbin storage hopper 25 so that a new supply of bobbins is readily positioned in the carriage hopper 30.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

ll. The combination with a winding machine having an elongate row of winding units thereon of (a) a relatively large storage hopper adapted to con tain filled textile bobbins therein and positioned adjacent one end of said winding machine,

(b) amovable carriage,

(c) an open-topped carriage hopper on said carriage,

(d) an upwardly biased movable bottom in said carriage hopper adapted to maintain textile bobbins therein at a convenient level for removal from the carriage hopper,

(e) means to guide said carriage in a path substantially parallel to and closely adjacent the winding units and the storage hopper,

(7) means for lowering said movable bottom relative to said carriage hopper, and

(g) means responsive to movement of said carriage adjacent said storage hopper for actuating said lower- 10 ing means to move said bottom to a position spaced substantially below the open top of the carriage hopper to facilitate transferring bobbins from said storage hopper into said carriage hopper.

2. -A structure according to claim 1, including a substantially horizontal endless belt conveyor in the lower portion of said storage hopper and having at least its upper portion positioned above the level of the open top of said carriage hopper, means for driving said conveyor, and the conveyor terminating adjacent the path of said carriage so as to direct bobbins from said storage hopper into said carriage hopper when the carriage hopper is positioned adjacent the storage hopper.

3. A structure according to claim 1, in which said carriage has wheels thereon adapted to roll upon a surface for supporting said carriage, and manually controlled means for driving said wheels in either direction to effect corresponding movement to said carriage along said path.

4. A structure according to claim 3, including manually controlled means for varying the speed of said carriage with movement thereof in either direction along said path.

5. A structure according to claim 3, including a deck on the lower portion of said carriage and projecting outwardly relative to said carriage hopper and adapted to support an operator during movement of said carriage.

6. The combination with an elongate winding machine provided with a plurality of Winding units thereon of (a) a storage hopper positioned adjacent one end of said winding machine and adapted to contain textile bobbins or the like to be placed on the winding machine,

(b) a carriage movable alongside said winding machine and said storage hopper,

(c) an open-topped carriage hopper on said carriage and adapted to contain textile bobbins therein,

(d) said carriage hopper having an upwardly biased movable bottom therein for maintaining textile bobbins therein at a convenient level for removal from the carriage hopper,

(e) movable means operatively connected to said bottom and extending exteriorly of said carriage hopper for moving the bottom thereof to the lowermost position for replenishment of bobbins in the carriage hopper, and

(1) means positioned alongside said track and adjacent said storage hopper and being engageable with said movable means to thus lower said bottom when the carriage is positioned alongside said storage hopper whereby the supply of bobbins in the carriage hopper may be quickly replenished from the main storage hopper.

7. A structure according to claim 6, in which said winding units include spindles for supporting bobbins thereon, and said carriage hopper comprising side walls whose upper edges terminate on a level adjacent the level of the spindles.

8. A structure according to claim 6, in which said movable meanes comprises (g) a follower,

(h) a follower arm supporting said follower,

(i) a shaft journaled on one end of said carriage and to which said arm is secured,

(j) a crank secured to said shaft and having a portion extending beneath said movable bottom, and

(k) means interconnecting said portion of the crank and a portion of said movable bottom.

9. A structure according to claim 8, in which said means engageable with said movable means corn-prises (1) an elongate cam adjacent said storage hopper,

(m) said cam including an inclined portion extending downwardly at an angle away from said machine, (12) the end of said inclined portion nearest said machine being disposed on a higher level than that oc- 1 1 vcupied by the follower when said carriage hopper is empty, and

(o) the other end of said inclined portion terminating on a sufiiciently lower level to cause said bottom to occupy a substantially fully lowered position in said carriage hopper when said other end is engaged by said follower.

10. 'In combination, an elongate winding machine provided with a plurality of Winding units thereon, a storage hopper positioned adjacent one end of said winding machine and adapted to contain textile bobbins or the like to be placed on the winding machine, a track extending alongside said winding machine and the storage hopper, a carriage movable along said track and 'alongside said Winding machine and said storage hopper, an opentopped carriage hopper mounted on said carriage and adapted to contain textile bobbins therein, said carriage hopper having an upwardly biased movable bottom therein adapted to maintain textile bobbins therein at a convenient level rfior removal from the carriage hopper, means operatively connected to said movable bottom for moving the bottom to the lowermost position for replenishment of bobbins in the carriage hopper, and means positioned adjacent said track and adjacent said storage hopper and being engage-able with said means operatively connected to said bottom to thus lower said bottom when the carriage is positioned alongside said storage hopper whereby the supply of bobbins in the carriage hopper may be quickly replenished from the main storage hopper.

11. A structure according to claim 10, in which said track comprises a pair of closely spaced, parallel bars fixed oh the floor which supports said winding machine, and said carriage having means movable therewith between said bars whereby the bars determine the path of travel of said carriage.

12. A structure according to claim 11, in which said lastnamed means includes at least one of a plurality of Wheeis supporting said carriage for movement over said floor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,752,549 Beardsley et a1. Apr. 1, 1930 1,962,017 Jellinghaus June 5, 1934 1,983,508 Cooker Dec. 4, 1934 2,010,465 Reiners et a1 Aug. 6, 1935 2,798,641 Coddington July 9, 1957 2,980,481 Fisher Apr. 18, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,594 Germany Nov. 7, 1932 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A WINDING MACHINE HAVING AN ELONGATE ROW OF WINDING UNITS THEREON OF (A) A RELATIVELY LARGE STORAGE HOPPER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN FILLED TEXTILE BOBBINS THEREIN AND POSITIONED ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID WINDING MACHINE, (B) A MOVABLE CARRIAGE, (C) AN OPEN-TOPPED CARRIAGE HOPPER ON SAID CARRIAGE, (D) AN UPWARDLY BIASED MOVABLE BOTOM IN SAID CARRIAGE HOPPER ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN TEXTILE BOBBINS THEREIN AT A CONVENIENT LEVEL FOR REMOVAL FROM THE CARRIAGE HOPPER, (E) MEANS TO GUIDE SAID CARRIAGE IN A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND CLOSELY ADJACNET THE WINDING UNITS AND THE STORAGE HOPPER, (F) MEANS FOR LOWERING SAID MOVABLE BOTTOM RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIAGE HOPPER, AND (G) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE ADJACENT SAID STORAGE HOPPER FOR ACTUATING SAID LOWERING MEANS TO MOVE SAID BOTTOM TO A POSITION SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE OPEN TOP OF THE CARRIAGE HOPPER TO FACILITATE TRANSFERFING BOBBINS FROM SAID STORAGE HOPPER INTO SAID CARRIAGE HOPPER. 